NuForce’s Tiny Cube Speaker Packs A Wallop

The Cube speaker from NuForce is an amazing piece of technology, as it should be for the price. The MSRP is US$119.00. The speaker measures 2 x 2 x 2-in (58.5 x 58.5 x 60.0 mm).

The speaker has a brushed metal finish and is available in black, silver, red, and blue. The package includes a 3.5 mm stereo cable 24-in long (0.6 meter), a 28-in USB cable (0.7 meter) and a soft carrying pouch.

The four versions of the Cube speaker

The Cube’s USB digital-to-analog converter (DAC) accepts digital music directly from the computer and bypasses the computer’s on-board DAC, which offers a major improvement in the sound quality.

The size of the speaker makes it difficult to see the details. The following diagram, from the company website, helps to demonstrate the different elements.

Diagram of Cube ports and functions

Using the product

The speaker should be charged for 12 hours before first use. I charged it using a USB hub with no problems. A red LED light on the front of the speaker will stop blinking when the speaker is fully charged. Once charged, it has an operational time of 8 hours. The sound is very powerful with both good base and good vocal sound. It also works well for listening to podcasts. As noted in the diagram, it works with computers, and “i” products which makes the size particularly nice.

It is almost hard to visualize the size unless you have a set of large children’s blocks around. The following image was taken on top of a 15-inch MacBook Pro. You can somewhat determine the size by comparing the speaker with the Apple logo.

Size comparison

There is no setup required. Just plug it in, and you are ready to go.

Do I recommend it?

I do. It delivers good sound, which you want from any speaker. It is perfect for taking your sound with you and it works very well on a crowded computer work station. An extra bonus for me — I use an external monitor and therefore keep the lid to my MacBook Pro closed which muffles the sound. Now I keep the Cube Speaker plugged in and am ready for any time I need instant sound, including Skype calls.